1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a casing which includes a heating means for a hot box or blocked brake detection scanner comprising infrared detectors. The casing is attached to a track section.
2. Prior Art
Hot box or blocked brake detection scanners usually are mounted to rails with the measuring openings of the detectors being at a relatively slight distance relative to the rail upper edge. Such a slight distance in case of a snow or ice covering, as a rule, will not constitute a major problem if the layer of snow above the detector is melted by a heating means incorporated in the scanning means. Due to the slight distance, the upper edges of such detectors are cleaned by the relative wind produced by rolling rail vehicles. Known such devices have been described in DE-A-19 18 317, wherein a special supporting structure is screwed to the rail webs and the respective hot box or blocked brake detection means is mounted to the supporting structure.
DE-A-42 17 681 has already suggested the installation of hot box detection scanners or blocked brake detection scanners in a trough-shaped sleeper. The upper edge of such trough-shaped sleepers is located on the level of the rail foot and the hot box or blocked brake detection scanners are, therefore, immersed in the trough-shaped sleeper, from which results a relatively large distance between the upper edge of the rail and the measuring means. With such a large distance, larger amounts of snow or ice may build up above the detector, thus impairing or even preventing measurements.